Fire Department Unveils New Trail Units

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Fayetteville’s new Trail Response Units give firefighters the tools to get to remote locations and city trails to help save lives. The bigger fire trucks don't have access to these spots.

"This will get us there quicker, with the right equipment, with the right training, with the right crew, and we'll be able to make a difference," said David Dayringer, Fayetteville Fire Chief.

It can make the difference between life and death if someone has a medical emergency.

The two units cost $50,000. They come with stretchers, a water hose and can hold up to 85 gallons of water. There’s enough room for three firefighters and a patient.

Money was approved for the new units last summer and Chief Dayringer said it’s money well spent.

“Fayetteville is a wild land urban interface city so we need the capability to get off the road, into the field and on to the side of hills,” he said.

The fire department hasn't used them yet, but when the temperatures rise this summer, they expect to roll them out in case of an emergency. When wild land fire season gets here we'll use them,” Dayringer said. “We’ll probably use them, I estimate, about 30 times a year."

These two units will also help firefighters maneuver through large crowds in events like the Walmart Shareholders Meeting and Bikes, Blues and Barbeque rally. It can also pull the department's rescue boat to remote locations.

The fire department expects to have its firefighters certified to use these units in three to four weeks.